Press-copying.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH I LIAM niconjor'" REENVIL E,[SOUTH CAROLINA.

ne ate acme 19, 1906. L

To aill whom it '7lI/6l/y concern: v

LIGON, a citizen of the'Uni'ted' States, and a resident of-Greenville, in'the. county of Greenville and State of SouthCarolina, have invented certain new. and -useful Improvements in Press-Copying, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to. processes" of and means for press-copying written and printed impressions and making additional copies either from such impressions or the copies so produced.

As is well known, press-copies of written documentssuch as type-written or handwritten letters, bills, &c. or way-bills, bills of lading, invoices, &c. which are partly printed and partly writtenare usually obtained by bringing the document to be copied into contact with a sheet of paper moistened with water and applying pressure. The matter to be copiedhaving been Written or printed with press-copying ink which is softened by the water, a copy is obtained on the paper (either tissue or thick) in contact therewith. It is sometimes desirable to obtain additional copies either directly from the original document, which I term duplicating, or from a press-copy impression already produced, which I term recopying. One or two additional duplicate copies may sometimes be. obtained from the original document with some inks; but they are usually faint and unsatisfactory, owing to the fact that most of the ink has been absorbed by the paper upon which it is and the copy-paper when making the first copy and what ink remains has become 'dry and is not sufliciently dissolved by subsequent applications of water to'produce further copies. For these reasons it is almost impossible to make copies from press copy impressions.

My invention has for its objects to facilitate press-copying, the making of a larger number and better impressions from one original, and therecopying or making presscopies from a press-copy; and it consists of the process and means hereinafter described and claimed for attaining these objects.

In attaining my objects and carrying my invention into efiect Iprovide a solution of a chemical solvent for the ink employed which will soften the ink more readily than water. I

By the term chemical solvent I mean any substance other than water itself, which when in solution with water or other liquid will more readily soften the ink and bring it. into Be it known that 1,;JOSEPH WILLIAM a" condition in which'it may be impressed upon a sheet to receive thecopy; As illustrativeof such solution I may mention the aqueous solution of acetic acid in'about the proportions of one part acid to lfive parts water, which I have found to give good 'results ,but Ido not-wish to confine myselfor the scope of the invention to acids or any one acid, as other chemicals which will produce the desired results may be employed and the strength and proportions of the solution varied to suit certain conditions and inks with out departing from the spirit of the invention. By way of further illustration citric acid and gum-acacia may be mentioned.

According to my process copies of typewritten or printed matter made with presscopy ink may be obtained in any well-known way, my solution being employed as by moistening with the solution the sheet to be copied or that to receive the copy, bringing them in contact, and applying more or less pressure. In making first copies very little pressure is needed with my solution, mere rubbing with the hand being suflicient, so that a letter-press maybe dispensed with.

In making additional copies from an original document, especially after a lapse of time when the ink has become dry and hard, my invention finds a very valuable application. As an illustration of this I may mention way-bills which accompany cars and which under the present general commercial practice are written on printed forms both in press-copying ink.

The sender makes a press-copy of these way-bills, and when they reach junction-points of the various roads over which the traffic passes pen-and-ink copies must be made, as further press-copies by the use of water are impracticable. By my process, however, a press-copy may be made at each of such points, and an exact record thus obtained.

Another important application and advantage of my process is obtaining copies from press-copies, a copy of a letter or bill already sent. By moistening the press-copy impression with water it is impossible to obtain such copies, but by my process good and legible recopies may be secured.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, s

1. The process of producing comes from as when it is desired to send out impressions made With press-copying ink, which consists in applying an aqueous solution of a substance more active than water in.

attacking said ink to a sheet of paper or other material and bringing it While moist in contact with the impression to be copied, substantially as described.

2. The process of producing copies from impressions made with press-copying ink, which consists in moistening with a dilute acid a sheet of paper or other material and bringing it while moist in contact with the impression to be copied, substantially as described.

3. The process of producing copies from impressions made with press-copying ink, which consists in moistening With dilute acetic acid a sheet of paper or other material and bringing it While moist in contact with the impression to be copied, substantially as described.

4. The process of producing copies from impressions made with press-copying ink which consists in applying an aqueous solution of a substance more active than water in attacking the ink, to said ink and pressing the sheet to receive the copy against the ink while it is moist, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOSEPH WILLIAM LIGON.

Witnesses T. G. DAVIs, A. L. MILLs. 

